Door dovetail



Dec. 15, 1931.-

l.-T. GILLIAN DooR 'DOVE TAIL Filed Feb. 28, 19.29

INVENTOR ATToRNll-Y,

Patented Dec. l5, 1931 UNITED STATES IRVING- T. GILLIAN, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN Doon Dovnfrnlr.

Application led February 28, 1929. Serial No. 343,484.

This invention relates to door dove tails of the type commonly used in connection with the doors of automobile bodies, the principal object being the provision of a new and novel construction which will hold the door with great security against undesirable movement.

Another object is to provide a door dove tail female member including resilient means adapted to be compressed in opposite directions when the male member is in operative position with respect thereto.

Another object is to provide a door dove tail including a resilient member interposed between oppositely movable walls.

Another object is to provide, in combination with a door and a door frame, a door dove tail comprising a male member carried by the free edge of the door and a female member carried by the door frame, the female member being so constructed as to resiliently suspend the free edge of the door when the door is in closed position.

Another object is to provide a dooi` dove tail member comprising a casing enclosing Y a pair of relatively movable parts, at least one of which is backed by a resilient member and the other one of which is provided with a cooperating part operatively connected thereto and positioned on the opposite side of the resilient member from the first mentioned part.

Another object is to provide a door dove tail including a pair of relatively movable arts adaptedy to receive a male member thereetween, both of said parts being resiliently urged toward each other by a single resilient member.

A further object is to provide a door dove tail including certainnov-el features of construction hereinafter specifically pointed out, or which will be obvious in the following specication. i

. The above being vamong the objects of the present invention, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawings which show a suitable embodiment of the present invention, and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several different views;

Fig. l is a more or less diagrammatic perspective view of a door and cooperating door frame indicatingA the usual positions which a door dove tail assumes with respect thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the male. member', of the door dove tail.

Fig. 3 'is a partially broken face view of thelfemale member of my improved door dove tai Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the movable parts of the assembly shown in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive. -f

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustra-ting the positions which the parts assume` when the male member is in operative position with respect thereto. n

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modified construction for the member shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing a modied form of the construction.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line lO-lO of Fig.l9. n

Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive are views similar to Fig. 5 showing modified forms of construction.

In the conventional form of door dove tail constructions now generally employed in. connection with automobile bodies, a casing or housing adapted toibe attached vto a door frame vis provided and in which is ositioned a pair of relatively moving ysur aces con stantly urged towards each other-by resilient means, the relatively movable surfaces being adapted to receive the male member, which is secured to the free edge of the door, between them when the door is in closed position, in order to hold the free edge of the door against undesirable vertical movement during operation of the automobile. The relatively movable surfaces are sometimes formed as a separate metal stamping, and sometimes formed of a single strip of spring metal bent to U shape. The resilient means employed for urging the surfaces toward each other is invariably a pair of rubber blocks inserted between each surface and the adjacent end of the casing.

The present day tendency in connection with motor vehicle bodies is to provide doors of relatively great width in order to permit ease of entrance and egress to and from the body. The result is that the doors have increased in weight, which increases the tendency of the free edge of the same to work vertically during operation of the automobile, and the door dove tails as heretofore provided arenot substantial enough to fully resist this movement over a long' period of time without deterioration. The door dove tail forming the subject matter of the present invention has been designed particularly to take care of the increased resistance necessary to prevent such movement of the free edge of a door, although it is to be understood that it is equally applicable to doors of smaller width of lighter weight. Y

VReferring to the accompanying drawings, I show in Fig. l a more or less diagrammatic perspective View to indicate the relative po sitions of the two major parts of the door dove tail with respect to the cooperating door and frame to which they are secured. The female organization, which is generally indicated as at in Fig. l, is mounted on the door frame 26, and the male member 27 is mounted on the free edge ofthe door in a position to be received between the movable members of the female member 25 when the door is in closed position. The female member 25 is preferably set into the door frame 26 as indicated, the door frame 26 being mortised to receive the same as in conventional practice. The male member 27 is provided with a supporting plate 28 which is usually mortised into the free edge of the door.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, the housing for the female member of the door dove tail is constructed in accordance with conventional practice from sheet metal, and comprises a face plate 29 which is stepped at its outer edge to form a perpendicular wall 30 and odset flange 3l, the latter of which is adapted to correspond and lie flush with the rabbeted portion of the outer edge of the` door frame 26. Secured to the under face of the plate 29 and against the Wall 30 is a box-like structure comprising a bottom 32,

side and ends 34, all of which are formed from a single piece of sheet metal, the sides and ends being bent up from the bottom 32 and preferably being secured to each other at the adjacent edges. The end walls 34 are preferably provided with an outwardly bent flange portion 35 which are adapted to contact with the under face of the face plate 29 and be secured thereto by any suitable means, so as to thus secure the box to the face plate. The face plate is centrally cut out as at 36 and the wall 30 is cut out as at 37 in alignment with the cut out portion 36, te provide a passageway for the male member 27 into the interior of the box. These members thus cooperate to form a closed structure in which the movable parts of the dove tail members are received.

In accordance with the present invention, these oppositely movable parts are constructed in the following manner: Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive each .of the oppositely movable parts of the female organization is constructed to provide a socket-like member 40 against an engagement surface of which the male member 27 is adapted to bear when the door is closed. The members 40 are positioned on either side of the center line of the slot 36. Each socketlilie member is provided with connection means such as a tie bar 41 which extends therefrom over the opposite socket member and to the opposite end wall 34, where it is provided with a pressure plate 42 normally lying in parallel relationship with and against the corresponding wall 34. These members 40 are positioned within the housing so that the tie bars4l lie against the bottom 32 in order not to obstruct the passage of the male member 27 between. the members 40. Received in at least one socket member 40 and extending between the same and the pressure plate 42 of the opposite member 40 is shown a resilient means in the form of an elastic. composition block, such as may be formed of rubber 43, this being preferably inserted YitlLan initial compression thereof. It will be apparent that each block of rubber, when two such blocks are used acting` against the pressure plate 42 of the opposite or more remote member 40 tends to urge such pressure plate against the corresponding end wall 34, and acting through its own member 40 and tie bar 41, acts to urge its own pressure plate 42 against the opposite end wall 34. In other words,each of the members 40 is urged towards the opposite member 40 by both rubber blocks 42.

lurthermere, it will be apparent that when the male member 27 is forced between the members 40, the members 40 will be forced away from each other and because of the tie bars 41, their corresponding pressure plates 42 will be constrained to move at least in part therewith. In other words, when the meniber block is therefore compressed between oppositely moving walls. Furthermore, the resistance to the compression of one rubber block is transmitted by the pressure plate 42 4 cooperating with that block to the opposite member 4() whose movement is also being resisted by the opposite rubber block. In other words, not only is the' movement of each member being resisted by the double compression of the corresponding rubber block 43 caused by oppositely moving surfaces approaching each other, but such resistance is increased by the simultaneous compression of the opposite rubber block, and it will be apparent that the holding power provided by this construction is greatly in excess of that of conventional constructions in which each movable member of the door dove tail is resisted by the compression of a single rubber block only which is compressed by the movement of only a single wall.

Each member 4() and its corresponding tie bar 41 and pressure plate 42, in Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive, are formed from a single piece of sheet metal by suitable stamping operations. The tie bars 41 are offset from the center of the members 40 in order that when operatively positioned within the housing, the tie bars 41 will not overlap each other, and so that both members 40 and their corresponding tie bars 41 and pressure plates 42 are of identical construction and reversible in order to permit economy in manufacture.

It will be apparent that inasmuch as each rubber block is freely received between its corresponding pressure plate and member 40, unless some means were provided for maintaining the assembly against vertical movement when the male member is inserted between the members 40, due to the fact that the pressure plates 42 tend to move away from their respective walls 34 upon insertion of the male member 27, the free edge of the door would not be securely held against vertical movement except by the friction between the rubber blocks and` the housing when the blocks expanded into contact therewith upon compression. This is taken care of in the construction shown in Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive by making the assembly shown in Fig. 6 of sufficiently light and springy material to permit the pressure plate 42 to pivot relative to its corresponding tie bar 41 through the resiliency of the metal. The result is that when the male member 27 is inserted between the members 40, the metal at the joint between each tie bar 41 and pressure plate 42 gives, as indicated in Fig. 7 thus permitting the force of compression in the rubber blocks to maintain the free edge of the pressure plate 42 in contact with the corresponding end walls 34, and stillV permit the edge of the pressure plate which is connected to the tie bar 41, to move away from the correspending end wall 34.

Where it is desired to use a heavier metal for the construction of the unit shown in Fig. 6, or of a metal that might rupture upon repeated bending, as might happen if the Y above described construction was made of such metal, the pressure plate 42 may be eliminated from the construction shown in Fig. 6, and the end of the tie bar 41 reversely bent to form a hook, such as 44 in Fig. 8, and a separate pressure plate 45 be provided having an opening 46 therein for reception of the hook 44. This permits a freely'pivotal action between the tie bar 41 and pressure plate 45` to effect the same resultas described in connection with Fig. 7. On the other hand, if the construction shown in Fig. 6 is vpreferably of an integral and yet rigid type, so that no bending or pivotal action is possible between the tie bar 41 and pressure plate 42, in order to prevent a possible shake of the parts in Y the housing when the door is closed each rubber member 43 may be rigidly secured to the-V housing by means of a screw such as 47 inserted through it and threaded into the bottom wall 32, or by means having a like effect.

Y Another means of taking care of this feature is shown in Fig. 11 n which instead of employing a screw such as 47, the housing is increased in length and an additional rubber block such as 48 is inserted under an initial compression between each pressure plate 42 and the corresponding end wall 34 of the housing.

The construction of the present invention may also be modified as indicated in Fig. 12, in which case resilient means are provided on one side only of the members 40. In this case a transverse wall such as 50, which may be a stamping suitably formed as shown, is secured within the housing between one of the members 40 and the corresponding end wall 34. Only the lower member 40 is provided with a tie bar 41 and pressure plate 42 in this construction, the pressure plate 42 adapted to lie in contact with the upper wall 34 when the male member is not in position between the members 40. In this case a rubber block is inserted under an initial tension between the pressure plate 42 and the wall 50, and a single rubber block 43 is placed under initial compression between the wall 50 and the corresponding or upper member 40. The rubber blocks 43 and 55 in this construction are compressed in a single direction only, but it will be apparent that when the door is closed the free edge thereof is suspended'through the male member 27 from theblock 55, and is maintained against the upper member 40 by the 'block 43. I have found that this suspended feature, whichis also found -in the so'l fil

construction shown in F ig. 9, results in a door dove tail of relatively long life.

The construction shownin Fig. 12 maybe modified as indicated in F ig. 13 in which a single rubber block 56 is employed between the upper member .40 and the pressure. plate 4Q which isadapted to lie against the upper end wall 34. The block 56 may be maintained in place by a screw 57 similar to the screws 47 shown in Figs. 9 and l0. The upper mem'- ber 4D in this case is shown as being provided with an extension 58 having an elongated slot 59 in which the screw 57 is received, and which acts to prevent possible 'droppingr of the upper member 40 without restrict-ing its relative movement. It will be noted that in this construction, as in the construction shown in! Fig. l2, the door will be suspended from the rubber block 56 when in closed position.

It will be apparent in either of these last described constructions that they may be turned upside Ydown so 'that the rubber blocks will act to support rather than suspend the free edge of the door, and this reversal has been found to give satisfactory operation.

-Although a number of modifications have been shown in connection with the present invention, it will apparent that these are but a few of the possible variations that may be constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, and formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

l. In a door dove tail, in combination, a pair of members providing relatively movable surfaces adapted to removably7 receive a male member therebetween, resilient means acting to yieldably maintain said surfaces at a prede3ermined distance relative to each other, and means connected with said surface-providing members and moving in opposite directions to compress the first mentioned aeans upon reception of said male member between said surfaces.

2. In a door dove tail, in combination, a casing, a resilient member therein, a pair of oppositely movable members respectively providing4 surfaces engaging opposite surfaces of said resilient member, a plate being operatively connected to one of said pair of members and lying on that side of the other of said pair of members remote from said resilient member.

3. In a door dove tail, in combination, a casing, a pair of members providing oppositely movable adjacent surfaces therein, resilient means disposed on opposite sides of said members, and means cooperating with said members and the respectively more remote of i said resilient means whereby each of said surfaces is urged by both of said resi-lient means towards the other of said surfaces.

Y Li. In a door dove tail, in combination, a casing, a pair of members providing adjacent independently slidable vsurfaces .positioned therein, a resilient member backing each of said members, a pressure plate backing each of said resilient members, and means tying each of said pressure plates to that one of said surfaces more remote from it.

5. In a door dove tail, in combination, a casing', a pairof members providing relatively movable adjacent surfaces therein, a rubber block lying in contact with one o' said members, a movable plate lying in contact with that face of said block remote from said member, and means connecting said plate with that one of said members more remote therefrom.

6. ln a door dove tail, in combination, a casing, a rubber block secured therein to a wallethereof, a pair of members providing relatively movable surfaces in said casing disposed in adjacent relationship on one side of said block, a pressure plate bearing against the opposite side of said block, and means connecting said pressure plate with that one of said members more remote therefrom.

7. In a door dove tail, in combination, a casing, a pair of members providing relative- .ly movable surfaces therein, a rubber block backing each of said members, and means cooperating with said members and said biocls whereby separation of said surfaces is resisted by compression of both of said blocks between oppositely movable surfaces.

S. In a door dove tail, in combination, a casing, members `'providing a movable wearing surface therein, a plate spaced from said surface and connected with said member, a second member providing a movable wearing surface interposed between the first mentioned wearing surface and said plate, and a resilient member held under compression between said second member and said plate.

9. ln a door dove tail, in combination., a casing, a member providing a movable wearing surface therein, a plate spaced from said surface and connected with said member, a

second member providing a movable wearing surface interposed between the first mentioned wearing surface and said plate, a rubber block held under compression between said second member and said plate, and a second rubber block disposed on the opposite side of said plate from the first mentioned block. i

l0. In a door dove tail, in combination, a casing, a pair of adjacent socket members slidable therein, a pressure outwardly of each of said sockets, a tie bar connected to each of said socket members eX- tending over the other of said socket members and being connected at its opposite end to one of said pressure plates, and a resilient'memplate disposed ber interposed between each of said pressure lpilates and the adjacent of said socket mem- 11. In a door dove-tail, a housing having a slot formed in a side Wall thereof, a pair of wear members disposed in spaced relation within the housing, upon each side of the slot, a resilient member engaging one of the `Wear members to actuate it toward the other, a plate disposed upon the resilient member and means positively connecting the plate with the other Wear member and a second resilient member disposed between the plate and the adjacent parallel Wall of the casing.'

IRVING T. GILLIAN. 

